Product certification is essentially the control of product characteristics. To do this, an interested party applies to a certification body and chooses the best way to do it.
Any enterprise that produces, for example, food, medical devices, electrical equipment, etc. may be subject to inspection by the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection. Therefore, you should be prepared for such inspections in advance. In particular, such companies or manufacturers should have product certification, i.e., a “certificate of conformity” or a “quality certificate (declaration of conformity)”. Often these two concepts are confused, considering them to be one and the same. In fact, they are two different documents issued in different situations.
Certificate of conformity
Regulatory documents in Ukraine for the production of products are: technical specifications, DSTU or DSTU GOST. Also, for certain types of products, such as medical devices, a technical file is a regulatory document.
The regulatory document establishes the requirements for products, according to which the certification process takes place, that is, you receive a certificate of conformity for products that meet the specific requirements for products specified in the regulatory document.
A certificate of conformity is a document that confirms that the products manufactured by you (your company) are of high quality and safe, and also meet all other requirements set forth by the relevant regulations. Small shops often ask for a certificate of conformity when delivering goods, large supermarkets and entire retail chains located in Ukraine or abroad. It is also impossible to participate in various tenders without a certificate of conformity.
A ready-made certificate of conformity form is issued by an accredited certification body. In Ukraine, there are more than 100 accredited product certification bodies and more than 700 laboratories, as well as non-accredited institutions that are competent in their field.
Certification is carried out both for batch production and for a single batch. If a one-time delivery is made or one product is supplied in several copies, then it is necessary to certify the batch of products with a clear indication of the number of products that are fully finished or imported. It is important to indicate their serial numbers. If you are engaged in the production or importation of products on a regular basis, then you need a batch production certification.
A certificate of conformity for batch production with inspection of the production site is issued for a period of up to 2 years, based on the examination of documentation and inspection of the production site. In case of production certification, a certificate of conformity can be issued for a period of 3 years.
Quality certificate (declaration of conformity)
Such a document is issued for products that are of high quality and safe, meet all the requirements of state standards and other regulatory documents or expert control, and are packed and loaded in transport in the appropriate manner. The second name for a quality certificate is a manufacturer’s declaration or a declaration of conformity, as the manufacturer indicates the quality indicators of the products it manufactures.
A quality certificate is necessary for the manufacturer itself, as it is required by stores and supermarkets with each delivery. It is also needed if there are protocols of various product tests.
Thus, a quality certificate (declaration of conformity) is a duly documented statement by the manufacturer that guarantees the conformity of products with the requirements established by law.
A manufacturer in a legally unregulated area may draw up a declaration of conformity on its own initiative or on the basis of an agreement with a consumer, and it is responsible for including inaccurate information in the declaration in accordance with the laws of Ukraine.
Is product certification mandatory?
Obtaining a certificate of conformity is a voluntary procedure for electronic and electrical equipment. All devices that fall under the scope of the regulation are subject to mandatory certification:
– Technical Regulation on Radio Equipment No. 355 dated May 24, 2017,
– Technical Regulations on Electromagnetic Compatibility of Equipment, approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1077 dated December 16, 2015 (Official Gazette of Ukraine, 2016, No. 2, p. 72),
– Technical Regulations for Low-Voltage Electrical Equipment, approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1067 dated December 16, 2015 (Official Journal of Ukraine, 2015, No. 102, p. 3526).
In fact, any equipment that affects human health and safety must undergo a procedure for assessing compliance with the requirements of technical regulations.
The term “mandatory certification” is used when, without documentary evidence of the quality of a product or device, it cannot be imported into the territory of Ukraine or a certificate of conformity and testing is required to sell this type of product.
Products subject to mandatory confirmation of conformity are those for which mandatory safety requirements are defined. These requirements apply to products whose use is potentially dangerous (e.g., electric shock or mechanical impact), and these products are subject to the relevant Technical Regulations.
The main types of technical regulations include the following:
– technical regulations on medical devices
– technical regulations on electromagnetic compatibility of equipment
– technical regulations on machinery safety
– technical regulations for low-voltage electrical equipment
– technical regulations for detergents
– technical regulations for the safety of equipment operating under pressure
– technical regulations for legally regulated measuring instruments
– technical safety regulations for toys.
To determine the need for conformity assessment to the requirements of the technical regulations for a domestic manufacturer, you need
– the UKPP code (the code can also be determined independently on the website https://dkpp.rv.ua/, or with the help of a consultant of the relevant consulting company;
– product description;
– the regulatory document according to which the domestic products are manufactured (DSTU, Technical Specifications, DSTU GOST) – consulting companies help to obtain the relevant document.
After providing this information, the relevant experts determine whether your products are subject to mandatory conformity assessment and, if so, according to which technical regulation. In this case, one type of product may be subject to several technical regulations.
However, even for products that are subject to voluntary certification only, a certificate of conformity is mandatory to obtain the relevant benefits.
What does product certification provide?
– products receive quality recognition in various tests;
– the product becomes more attractive in terms of consumption;
– the competitiveness of products in the market increases;
– a positive image as a manufacturer/importer is created;
– you show yourself in a favorable light when participating in tenders.
Where to start?
If you have a finished product, device, equipment, or commodity that you plan to bring to the market and want to protect yourself from unexpected inspections or be sure that your products meet all the requirements set forth by the relevant regulations, but do not know where to start, you need specialists who provide the following services
– determining whether your particular product requires mandatory certification;
– Identifying and collecting the necessary documentation to obtain the appropriate certificate;
– providing full legal support during the organization and conduct of the certification procedure;
– assistance in passing laboratory tests, if required.
Such services are provided by certain consulting companies in the field of technical regulation of products, which help to prepare products for sale on the market.
As a rule, the cost of such companies’ services depends on the scope of what they have to do, and this is determined only after consultation with the company’s experts.
You can choose any such company you like from the global communication network on the Internet or contact our company for an initial consultation to develop a step-by-step action plan.
certificate of conformity / intellectual property / mandatory product certification / quality certificate / technical regulations
